Railway journal box lubricator



Oct. 3, 1944. v 1 VJ, ss 2,359,643

RAILWAY JOURNAL BOX LUBRICATQR Filed Sept. (5, 1941 IIVVENTOR. JAMES J. HENNESSY ATTORNE Patented Oct. 3, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY JOURNAL BOX LUBRICATOR James J. Hennessy, Montclair, N. J.

Application September 6, 1941, Serial No. 409,761

2 Claims.

The invention relates to railway journal lubricators of the type which utilizes the longitudinal motion of the journal in the journal box to actuate a mechanical pump to supply lubricant from a reservoir at the bottom of the box to the journal, preferably through a distributor adapted to spread the lubricant over a substantial area of the journal.

The structure embodying the present invention includes some features described and claimed in an earlier application of the present inventor filed December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,057, now Patent No. 2,272,199, issued February 10, 1942, and also illustrated and described in another copending application filed July 5, 1940, Serial No. 343,984, now Patent No. 2,260,520, issued October 28, 1941.

A lubricator f the type described is illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 1,948,297, issued to the present applicant February 20, 1934, and. includes a pump and a distributor which must be inserted through the open end of the journal box and beneath the journal.

It has been customary to jack up the box, remove the journal bearing and wedge, lower the box onto the journal, thereby providing increased space between the journal and the bottom of the box, and then insert the pump and distributor units beneath the journal, then jack up the box and replace the bearing and wedge.

The present invention provides a distributor which may be inserted beneath the journal independently of the pump and may be compressed for insertion without removing the journal bearing Wedge as described above.

One object of the present invention is to facilitate the manufacture and assembly of such a distributor.

Another object is to connect the parts of the distributor so that the thrust between the reciprocating journal and the pump will be transmitted longitudinally of the supporting arm for the distributor plate, thus avoiding canting and undue wear of the parts of the distributor device.

Another object is to avoid leakage of lubricant between hinged parts of the device.

Another object is to render the support of the distributor plate stable.

The attainment of these and other detailed objects of the invention will appear from the following description and inspection of the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the lower portion of a railway journal box having the usual American Association of Railways standard dimensions and fitted with a lubricating device embodying the present invention, the lower portion of the associated journal being illustrated also.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical transversesection taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top View of the distributor plate applied to the lower face of the journal.

Figure 5 is an elevational View of a different form or distributor device with the associated journal, journal box and pump indicated in section.

The journal I and box 2 are of the usual construction and are illustrated in the relative position assumed when the box and journal are in functioning position. The box floor 3 curves forwardly and upwardly at 4 to the opening 5 normally closed by a spring pressed door (no shown).

The outer end of the journal includes the usual collar 6 provided for retaining the bearing and wedge in place, and the rear end of the box has the usual pocket I for a dust guard 8 which also serves as a retainer for lubricant tending to flow outwardly from the journal or to be splashed upwardly and outwardly from the reservoir formed by the lower portion of the box.

The pump comprises a body member 9 which is provided with a cylinder receiving a piston (not shown) which is operated by the lever I0, the outer end of which engages the end of journal I, the pump cylinder being operated by the reciprocation of the journal and box axially of the journal as the vehicle travels over the track. Oil is supplied to the box around the pump and, under the action of the pump piston, the pump cylinder takes in oil from the box and discharges it to the outlet I I.

The distributor includes a plate-like member I2 of arcuate contour, the concave upper face of which is ribbed and grooved to guide and retain the oil supplied thereto. The upper face of the plate is adapted to fit against the journal. Spaced ears I3 and I4 depend from the right hand end of the plate and a horizontal cylindrical bore extends through ear I4 and substantially through ear I3. A cylindrical plug I5 is rotatable in the bore. A supporting arm I6 has an upper end received between ears I3 and HI and surrounding plug I5 and pinned thereto by an element H.

The lower end of arm I6 has a ball-like terminus 2| seated in a corresponding socket in Y i l pump body 9. A passageway 22 leads from outlet M in the pump body upwardly through arm I6 to plug |5. Plug I is drilled at 22a to form an extension of passageway 22. A port 22b connects longitudinal drilling 22a with a peripheral groove 220 in the plug. A boss |2a on the underside of the distributor plate extends from ears l3 and M to the center of the plate and is provided with a longitudinal hole 22d with its right hand end (Figure 1) opening into groove 22c and with its left hand end terminating in a discharge port 226. Grooves 23 lead from port 22e to spaced portions of the distributor plate.

After assembly of these parts, a spring I8 and a plug I!) are inserted in the open end. of the bore in ear l4, and the plug and arm are thrust to the left to maintain a tight joint at 20, thereby avoiding play between these parts and the loss of lubricant escaping from groove 220.

The inner end of boss |2a is widened and forms a downwardly facing spring seat 24 and the opposing end of arm |6 is provided with an upwardly facing spring seat 25. A coil spring 25 is compressed between seatsr2'4 and 25 and normally thrusts the arm and plate apart to hold them in the position shown in Figure 1.

When the distributor device is being inserted beneath the journal, or is being removed therefrom, the plate and arm may be moved towards each other to reduce their over-all height and facilitate their insertion or removal. When the device is removed from the journal box, the plate and arm may be moved about their hinge connection away from each other to apply or remove spring 26.

With the pump; journal and distributor device assembled as shown in Figure 1, the longitudinal thrusts, due to the contact between the journal and the plate, are applied to the arm longitudinally of thelatter, The wide bearing area of the hinge connection avoids undue wear, tending to reduce the efficiency-of the device as a lubricant conduit.

Associated with the pump and distributor there is showna series of felt pads 30 and supporting plates 3| and 32 therefor, plate 3|, resting on the bottom of the box, holding the bottom of the pads above the bottom of the journal box, and plate 32, resting on a coil spring 33, also mounted on seat 25, yieldinglythrusting the upper portions of the pads against the face of the journal.

Preferably clearance is provided between the underside of plate I2 and the adjacent portions of pads 30, thus permitting the distributor plate to move relative to the pads and permitting the pads to move relative to the distributor plate. Hence desired contact between the journal, plate and pads is maintained.

Figure 5 illustrates another form of the invention in which the distributing plate 40 may correspond generally to that described above, but the supporting and conduit-forming structure comprises a pair of jointed arms 4| and 42, the lower arm 4| having a ball and socket engagement with the pump body 43 resting upon the bottom Wall 44 of the journal box, and the upper arm 42 terminating in an upwardly facing ball element 45 seated in a downwardly facing socket forming element 46 in the central portion of plate 40. A coil spring 41 is seated against the swinging portions of arms 4| and 42 and thrusts the outer ends of the arms in opposite directions, thus firmly but yieldingly supporting plate 40 in contact with the journal 48. A passageway 49 leads from the pump outlet 5|] upwardly through arms 4| and 42 to the upper face of plate 40 to supply lubricant to the journal.

The details of the construction may be varied in other ways than those illustrated Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lubricant distributor of the class described, a plate arranged for application to the lower portion of a journal to be lubricated, an arm extending downwardly and inwardly from one edge of said plate, and a hinge connection between the upper end of said arm and said plate edge, the lower end of said arm forming a pivot support for the device, there being a lubricant passageway from the swinging end of said arm through said hinge connection and through said plate to the upper face of the latter, said plate being curved to conform to the contour of the journal and said arm being disposed in a plane extending longitudinally of the axis of the curvature of said plate, whereby drag of the journal upon the plate, as the journal reciprocate's relative to the distributor device, is transmitted lengthwise of the arm to the support for the latter.

2. In a lubricant distributor of the class described, a plate-like member of arcuate cross section for application to the face of a journal'to be lubricated, spaced depending ears on the convex face of said member on one curved end of the latter, a horizontal cylindrical bore through said ears extending substantially parallel to a chord extending across the straight side edges of the concave face of said member, a cylindrical plug rotatable in said bore, an arm with one end surrounding a relatively short portion of said plug and received between said ears, and a spring between said arm and member for thrusting them apart, said arm having a ball-like terminus upon its other end upon which the device may be supported, there being a continuous passageway through said terminus, arm, plug and one of said ears to the concave upper face of said member.

JAS. J. HENNESSY. 

